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Tuesday, 1 August 2017

Exploring Kilkenny

For our first full day in Ireland we didn't fancy going too far after travelling the whole day before. So we drove the short distance to Kilkenny to explore what the city has on offer. The first thing we spotted was our very own bar (but we didn't go in!):

The one thing Kilkenny isn't short off are pubs and bars! We wandered down to the River Nore with its colourful buildings:

Luckily for us there was space on the terrace for a late lunch with a view of Kilkenny Castle:

There were also the bonus of a singer who entertained us whilst we ate. Fully restored we wandered around the oldest parts of the city plenty of which are pedestrian areas:

There are plenty of historic buildings that we didn't visit on this occasion:

However we did make it up to St Canice's cathedral and the round tower which was built in the 9th Century:

My son was well above the minimum height to access the tower and Gramps assured the ticket office that even though he was 2 years under the age limit he was strong enough to attempt the ascent:

After a safety briefing he and I entered the tower and discovered why the rules were in place:

There were times when it got quite scary as it got steeper and the last section wasn't easy as the stone steps were tricky to get up. However it was worth it for the view:

Once we got back to the ground it was time for a coffee and I spotted an interesting sign down an alley way...

Turns out it led to the oldest town house in Ireland which was built in 1582. At times it was frequented by the Duke of Wellington but fell into disrepair and has been under restoration since 1999. It was a cosy little spot for a coffee and hot chocolate:

Back to the car past the old Bank of Ireland building which is now a Gastro pub and music venue:

2 comments:

I love it that those stairs are called Butter Slip. And thanks for taking photos of the view from the top of the tower as I will never be attempting to climb it myself. I'm enjoying your holiday so far - more please.